by Jin Yong
Zhang Wuji’s eyes followed his uncle closely; he waited until they were about five feet apart before his palm gently patted his uncle’s waist. In this one palm he had unleashed the ultimate power of the ‘qian kun da nuo yi’ [the great shifting and moving of the universe]; by absorbing and releasing energy he dispersed the falling down momentum from top to bottom to from left to right, and thus sending Yu Lianzhou flying horizontally several feet to the side. By that time his internal energy had been recovered 70, 80%; flipping his body midair he landed steadily on the ground. In one fluid motion his palm struck a Mongolian warrior that he spurted blood from his mouth.
"Da Shige [first martial (older) brother], Si Shidi! [fourth martial (younger) brother],” he loudly called out, "Jump down!”
The people on the Pagoda cheered as they saw Yu Lianzhou land safely on the ground. Out of his deep love toward his son, Song Yuanqiao wanted him to jump down first. "Qingshu,” he said, "You jump down!”
Ever since they came out of their prisons, Song Qingshu had always been standing up next to Zhou Zhiruo. "Miss Zhou,” he said, "Quickly jump down.”
Zhou Zhiruo’s internal strength had not been recovered yet; she was unable to help her master, yet she was unwilling to escape alone. Hearing Song Qingshu, she shook her head and said, "I am going to wait for Shifu!”
By this time He Taichong, Ban Shuxian, and the others had jumped down one after another; they were all intercepted by Zhang Wuji using the marvelous power of the ‘qian kun da nuo yi’ to the fullest; breaking the vertical force of the drop, turning it horizontally, delivering them all one by one from danger.
These people’s internal energy had not been fully recovered yet, but although their strength was only 50, 60% of their normal level, they had already given the foreign monks and the warriors a lot of trouble. Yu Lianzhou and the others snatched some weapons and they formed a fence around Zhang Wuji.
Wang Baobao’s and Zhao Min’s subordinates were trying to stop Zhang Wuji, but Yu Lianzhou, He Taichong, Ban Shuxian and the others blocked them. One more person jumped down from the Pagoda meant one more person was protecting Zhang Wuji. Ever since these people were being held captives by Zhao Min, they had suffered innumerable humiliations and a lot of them even lost their fingers. This time they were freed from their bondage, all of them were staking whatever they have, venting their anger. In a short moment the ground around the Pagoda was littered by more than twenty warriors’ corpses.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Wang Baobao issued an order, "Get my special archer force over here!”
Captain Ha was just turning his body around to carry out the Young Prince’s order when he saw the sky toward the southeast corner was bright with fire. He was shocked and immediately called out, "Xiao Wangye, the Palace is on fire! We must hurry to save Wangye!”
Wang Baobao was concerned over his father’s safety, he could not be bothered by catching or killing some rebelling thieves. "Meizi, [younger sister - term of endearment]” he hastily said, "I am going back to the Palace. You must be careful!” Without waiting for Zhao Min to answer he turned his horse around and galloped away to the exit.
As Wang Baobao left, the Eighteen Buddha Warriors followed; as did most of the palace guards. They saw the Palace was on fire and thought that a large number of rebels had attacked the Palace, they were very anxious; nobody guessed it was a trick played by Wei Yixiao, one person.
Meanwhile Song Qingshu, Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Songxi, Mo Shenggu, and the others had jumped down from the Pagoda. Very soon the situation was reversed, the warriors were outnumbered. A little later Kong Wen Fang Zhang [Abbot Kong Wen], Kong Zhi Dashi [Reverend Kong Zhi], as well as the senior monks from the Damo Hall and Luohan Hall had also jumped down. Zhao Min’s warriors lost any chance to gain victory.
Zhao Min thought that if they did not escape now, they would change from captors to captives. Therefore, immediately she issued an order, "Everybody, get out of Wan An Temple!” Turning toward Zhang Wuji she said, "At dusk tomorrow, I will be waiting for you to have some drinks. I hope you’ll come.”
Zhang Wuji was startled; but before he could answer Zhao Min flashed one of her captivating smiles, and hurriedly retreated toward the hall at the rear of the Wan An Temple.
He heard Fan Yao, still on top of the Pagoda, shouted loudly, "Miss Zhao, quickly jump! Your eyebrows are burned. You don’t want to jump, do you want to be a beautiful-woman charcoal?”
"I want to be with Shifu!” Zhou Zhiruo replied.
In the meantime, Miejue Shitai was still in fierce battle against He Biweng. When the floor they were on was burned down, they jumped to the higher floor. Very soon they were fighting in the room at the corner of the tenth floor. Her internal energy had not 100% recovered, but from the beginning she had disregarded her life by concentrating all her strength in offense without thinking about defense at all. On the other hand, He Biweng was first of all anxious over his martial brother’s safety, so he could not focus his attention to the battle. Secondly, his previous injury from Zhang Wuji’s palm had not been healed completely. Thirdly, he had just recovered from the poison administered by Fan Yao, plus his acupoints were sealed for quite a long time, his limbs were not as agile as at normal time. Therefore, the two of them fought for a long time without clear winner or loser.
Miejue Shitai heard her disciple’s voice; "Zhiruo,” she called out, "Quickly jump down! Don’t mind me! This old thief has humiliated me too much, how can I let him live?”
He Biweng was groaning inwardly, he thought, "This old nun is disregarding her own life fighting me; while I must save my martial brother. Must I lose my life together with her in this hell hole?” He shouted loudly, "Miejue Shitai, it was Ku Toutuo who said that, what do I have to do with it?”
Miejue Shitai held her palm and turned around, "Stinky Toutuo, was it you who said all those crazy talk?” she asked Fan Yao.
Fan Yao was amused, he deliberately asked, "What crazy talk?” He wanted Miejue Shitai to say it with her own mouth, ‘He said that I am your old sweetheart, and that Zhou Zhiruo is our daughter.’ But how could she say such thing? However, hearing Fan Yao’s answer, Miejue Shitai knew He Biweng was telling the truth. She was so angry that her body trembled.
As Miejue Shitai was turning her back toward him, suddenly a burst of black smoke rolled in; He Biweng saw this was a good opportunity to launch a sneak attack. Thereupon amidst the smoke he launched a palm strike toward Miejue Shitai’s back.
Zhou Zhiruo and Fan Yao saw it clearly; they shouted together, "Shifu, watch out!” "Old Nun, watch out!”
Miejue Shitai quickly struck her left palm backward to counterattack, but He Biweng’s yin-yang palms had already arrived. Her left palm blocked He Biweng’s left palm, but her back was struck by his right-hand Xuanming Shen Zhang [Xuanming Divine Palm]. This Xuanming Divine Palm was the exact same palm he exchanged with Zhang Sanfeng at Mount Wudang a few years back. Miejue Shitai staggered; she almost fell down.
Zhou Zhiruo was greatly shocked; she rushed ahead to support her Shifu. Fan Yao was very
angry; "Wicked despicable coward!” he roared, "You are not worthy to live!” Lifting the cotton quilt containing Lu Zhangke and Concubine Han, he threw the bundle down.
He Biweng loved his martial brother very much; without thinking he jumped, trying to catch the bundle, but it was already too far outside the Pagoda that He Biweng only managed to grab the corner of it. Because of the weight, He Biweng was also dragged down.
Zhang Wuji was standing at the base of the Pagoda. Because of the smoke, he could not see clearly the battle high on the Pagoda. He saw a big object followed by a man was falling down. He did not know what the bundle was, but amidst the smoke he saw vaguely there was somebody inside the bundle. He could see clearly however, that the man was He Biweng. He realized this man had caused him endless suffering, even his parents’ death was closely related to him. But in the end Zhang Wuji just could not bear to see him falling down to meet his crue
l death.
Immediately he flew up and with both palms he struck the bundle and He Biweng, sending each one of them flying about three ‘zhang’s to the right and to the left.
He Biweng flipped his body midair and landed on the ground. "Really dangerous!” he inwardly called out in alarm. Never in his life would he expect Zhang Wuji to render good for evil by saving his life. As he turned his head around to look for his martial brother he was shocked. Turned out Zhang Wuji’s palm strike had caused the bundle to burst open, throwing two naked bodies into a pile of burning wood. Lu Zhangke’s acupoints were still sealed; he was unable to move that his beard and hair was burned immediately.
"Shige!” He Biweng called out in panic and rushed toward the fire.
As he landed on the fire, before his feet were steady, Yu Lianzhou had called out, "Eat my palm!” followed by a left palm strike toward He Biweng’s shoulder.
He Biweng did not dare to block, he shrank his shoulder to evade. It seemed like Yu Lianzhou’s palm had lost its momentum, but as He Biweng’s shoulder shrunk, the palm followed and ‘slap!’ He Biweng was so much in pain that his forehead was drenched in cold sweats. Yet rescuing his martial brother was more important that ignoring the pain He Biweng hastily embraced Lu Zhangke and took him flying over the tall wall surrounding the temple.
At that moment a burning big pillar of the Pagoda fell down, crushing Concubine Han’s body and in a short moment her body was caught on fire. The people on the ground shouted repeatedly, "Quickly jump down! Quickly jump down!”
Fan Yao fled to the east and leaped to the west to avoid the fire. As the main pillars burned down, the bricks and tiles from the Pagoda started to fall down like rain. The Pagoda was starting to sway, looked like it would collapse anytime.
In stern voice Miejue Shitai said, "Zhiruo, jump down!”
"Shifu, you jump first, then I’ll jump!” Zhou Zhiruo replied.
Miejue Shitai suddenly leaped and hacked Fan Yao’s left shoulder with her palm, while shouting, "The Devil Cult’s thief, I can’t let you go!”
Fan Yao let out a long laugh and jumped down. Zhang Wuji received him with a slap of his palm, let him gently landed on the ground.
"Fan Youshi,” Zhang Wuji praised him, "You have successfully accomplished a very difficult task!”
Fan Yao steadied his feet before answering, "If not because of Jiaozhu’s matchless skill, everybody would become roast pork on top of that Pagoda. Fan Yao’s way of handling affair was improper; what merit do I have?”
Miejue Shitai stretched out her arm to grab Zhou Zhiruo and take her jump down. When she was about a little over a ‘zhang’ away from the ground, she sent all her strength to her arms and threw Zhou Zhiruo several feet upward. That way she broke the momentum of Zhou Zhiruo’s fall that she only had about a ‘zhang’ to fall to the ground, while at the same time her own falling down momentum was actually strengthened.
Zhang Wuji dashed forward to pat her waist with the ‘qian kun da nuo yi’. Who would have thought that even in her death Miejue Shitai was not willing to receive any kindness from the Ming Cult. Seeing Zhang Wuji’s palm was about to reach her, she gathered all her remaining strength to launch an attack. Two palms collided. ‘Bang!’ Zhang Wuji’s palm was shifted sideways. ‘Crack!’ Miejue Shitai crashed on the ground; her spine, as well as several bones on her body, broke immediately.
On the other hand, Zhang Wuji was hit really hard from her palm strength plus the falling down momentum; blood bubbled up in his chest and he staggered several steps backward. He did not understand because with this one palm attack Miejue Shitai obviously was trying to kill herself.
Zhou Zhiruo threw herself on top of her Shifu’s body while crying out, "Shifu, Shifu!” The rest of the Emei disciples, both males and females, all gathered around their master’s body in great confusion.
"Zhiruo,” Miejue Shitai said, "From this day on, you are our school’s Sect Leader. The things I want you to do, you won’t disobey all . all of them?”
Zhou Zhiruo cried and said, "Yes, Shifu, disciple does not dare to forget.”
Miejue Shitai showed a faint smile and said, "Then, I can die with closed eyes ...”
Right away Zhang Wuji came forward to check on her pulse, but suddenly Miejue Shitai flipped her right hand and grabbed Zhang Wuji’s wrist. In a stern voice she said, "Devil’s Cult evil disciple, if you dare to violate my beloved pure disciple, even being a ghost I will not spare ...” The last ‘you’ word had not been uttered, she had already breathed her last; yet her grip was not loosened up, her five fingernails dug Zhang Wuji’s flesh until he was bleeding.
Fan Yao called out, "Everybody, come follow me; we are going out from the western gate. If we tarry, that scoundrel king’s cavalry would catch us here.”
Carrying Miejue Shitai’s lifeless body in his arms Zhang Wuji said in low voice, "Let’s go!”
Zhou Zhiruo gently pried her master’s fingers from Zhang Wuji’s hand, she held out her hand to take her master’s body, all the while she avoided Zhang Wuji’s eyes; and then she quietly walked out of the temple.
By then the masters from Kunlun, Kongtong and Huashan had already swarmed out the temple. Only Shaolin Pai’s Kong Wen and Kong Zhi, two ‘shen seng’ [divine monks], did not lose their seniority demeanor; they came to Zhang Wuji with clasped palms to express their gratitude. And then they exchanged some modest greetings with Song Yuanqiao, Yu Lianzhou and the others before finally they left the temple together.
Zhang Wuji had spent a lot of energy in using the ‘qian kun da nuo yi’ to rescue the masters from the Six Major Sects; his internal energy was depleted. Last of all he exchanged a palm with Miejue Shitai that he suffered a major internal injury; by now he was so weak that he could not walk. Mo Shenggu took him and carried him on his back. Zhang Wuji took that opportunity to silently cultivating his ‘jiu yang shen gong’ [the Nine Yang divine strength/energy] that at last his strength was recovered.
Meanwhile it was almost dawn; as the crowd of heroes reached the western gate, they dispersed and went out the city separately to avoid the gate guards. Several ‘li’s outside the city they met Yang Xiao who had already prepared several large mule and horse carriages. He congratulated them on escaping the danger.
Kong Wen Dashi [Reverend Kong Wen] said, "If not for the Ming Cult’s Zhang Jiaozhu and gentlemen’s help today, it is difficult to say what our Central Plains’ [zhong yuan] Six Major Sects’ fate would be, our gratitude of your kindness is unspeakable. Now about next step, how we are going to proceed, please Zhang Jiaozhu gives us instruction.”
"My knowledge is shallow,” Zhang Wuji answered, "I don’t have any plan, so I invite Reverend Abbot of the Shaolin Pai to give us orders.” But Reverend Kong Wen strongly refused.
Zhang Songxi said, "This place is not too far from the city. Today we have made an earth-shattering disturbance inside the Tartar’s capital; how could that evil king let it go? As soon as the fire in the palace is extinguished, he would certainly dispatch a cavalry to pursue us. Let us leave this place first before deciding on our next action plan.”
He Taichong said, "If that evil king sends a cavalry to pursue us, then that would be best. We can kill them all to vent our several days of built-up anger.”
"Our internal strength is not completely recovered yet,” Zhang Songxi said, "Killing the Tartars right now is not our priority; we’d better avoid them first.”
"Zhang Sixia [fourth hero Zhang] is right,” Reverend Kong Wen said, "We could kill many Tartars today, but our own casualty would not be small. We’d better withdraw for the time being.” Certainly the words of Shaolin’s Abbot carried a different weight. As soon as he opened his mouth, nobody dared to raise any objection anymore.
Reverend Kong Wen asked again, "Zhang Sixia, according to your respected opinion, where should we go to temporarily avoid the enemy?”
Zhang Songxi replied, "The Tartars would certainly expect us to go if not to the south, then to the southeast. We
will go to the opposite direction; to the northwest. What do you think?”
Everybody was stunned; yet Yang Xiao actually clapped his hands and said, "Zhang Sixia’s plan is really marvelous. The people of the northwest is sparse, we can look for any uninhabited mountain and hide there for a while. The Tartars would not think of looking for us there.” The more the rest of them think, they more they realized Zhang Songxi’s plan was indeed marvelous. Thereupon they turned their carriages around and went northwest.
About fifty ‘li’s later the group of heroes stopped at a valley to take a rest and eat. Yang Xiao had already prepared dried provisions, dried meat and wine; nothing was lacking. They were talking about the rescue operation they had just undergone and they all agreed that Zhang Wuji and Fan Yao were in charge of the entire battle and the rescue operation.
On the side Zhou Zhiruo and the Emei disciples were cremating Miejue Shitai’s body. Kong Wen, Kong Zhi, Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Wuji, and the rest of them, one by one, offered their last respect. Miejue Shitai was a great hero; although her temperament was peculiar she had always upheld chivalry and justice. Her character was imposing; there was no one in the Wulin world who did not respect her. The Emei disciples cried and wept loudly, the rest of the people were also mournful.
In a loud and clear voice Reverend Kong Wen said, "The dead cannot go back to live. The heroes of Emei must carry on the will Shitai had left behind; hence although Shitai died, she will also live. This time we fell under evil people’s poisonous hands; everybody suffered a great defeat. Even our own Sect’s Kong Xing Shidi [martial (younger) brother] had died under the Tartars’ hands. This debt must be settled, but as how we are going to do this, we need to discuss it further.”
Reverend Kong Zhi said, "Initially the Six Major Sects of the Central Plains and the Ming Cult are enemies to each other; but Zhang Jiaozhu has forgotten this animosity and lent a hand to rescue us. This way the enmity between us is to be forever eradicated. From now on we are of one heart and mind, driving the invaders together.”
